This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper shoulders training.
The primary muscles in the shoulder are known as deltoids. The main function of these muscles is lifting and rotating the arms on the shoulder joint, and also assisting the triceps in pressing weights overhead and the pectorals in pressing weight to the front of the body. The deltoids are made up of three separate heads: the anterior (a.k.a. front) deltoid, the lateral (a.k.a. side) deltoid, and the posterior (a.k.a. rear) deltoid. The shoulder includes also a group of four muscles, called rotator cuff, that help to stabilize your arm during movements and allows the shoulder joint to move in multiple directions.
For training the shoulders adequately you have to combine a compound movement for building overall size and strength in the muscle, with some isolation work for each head to maximize muscle growth and striation. This leads to at least 4 exercises. If you have a specific head that is lagging behind, you can add an additional exercise for it, or change the order of the exercises to prioritize this head. Remember that your goal should be achieving a full and complete shoulder development with a good balance between the deltoid heads, and you must adapt your routine to accomplish this goal.
Your choice for the compound exercise should be a variation of the shoulder press, preferably the dumbbell press or the military press. Dumbbell version is more complete, because it uses more supportive muscles and allows deeper stretching. When doing this exercise, be sure to describe a wide motion (the forearms must be always in a 90 degree angle with the floor). For your compound exercise avoid the behind-the-neck press, since it increases the risk of rotator cuff injuries.
Stimulating the lateral deltoid is crucial for adding width to the shoulder. The best exercise for this is the lateral raise or any variation thereof, including the dumbbell lateral raise, the cable lateral raise, the one-arm lateral raise, the seated lateral raise, the lying lateral raise or the incline and decline one-arm lateral raise that stress the upper or lower portions of the deltoids. When doing this exercise, control the weight during the whole movement and avoid cheating. The lateral deltoid can be worked also using upright rows but, as I commented in the trapezius post, this exercise puts your shoulder joint in a position very prone to injury.
The posterior deltoid uses to be a commonly neglected shoulder part for most people, but it is essential for proper shoulder symmetry. Your options for training it include the rear lateral raise and its variations (e.g. dumbbell, cable, etc.) or a machine that simulates that effect. In addition, you can also perform rowing exercises, but maintaining your elbows up.
The anterior deltoid receives a certain amount of work when you are training your chest (with bench press, and especially with incline bench press), and for this reason, it is uncommon to have development problems with it. If you need to isolate the anterior deltoid, you can choose among barbell front raises, cable front raises and alternate dumbbell front raises.
Finally, it is a good practice adding to your routine some work for the rotator cuff in order to prevent injuries, for instance doing internal and external rotation exercises with cable or dumbbells.
If you need more information for designing your shoulders workout, you can read the article “Boulder Shoulders” by Jon Huston or the article “Training the Shoulders!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.
The primary muscles in the shoulder are known as deltoids. The main function of these muscles is lifting and rotating the arms on the shoulder joint, and also assisting the triceps in pressing weights overhead and the pectorals in pressing weight to the front of the body. The deltoids are made up of three separate heads: the anterior (a.k.a. front) deltoid, the lateral (a.k.a. side) deltoid, and the posterior (a.k.a. rear) deltoid. The shoulder includes also a group of four muscles, called rotator cuff, that help to stabilize your arm during movements and allows the shoulder joint to move in multiple directions.
For training the shoulders adequately you have to combine a compound movement for building overall size and strength in the muscle, with some isolation work for each head to maximize muscle growth and striation. This leads to at least 4 exercises. If you have a specific head that is lagging behind, you can add an additional exercise for it, or change the order of the exercises to prioritize this head. Remember that your goal should be achieving a full and complete shoulder development with a good balance between the deltoid heads, and you must adapt your routine to accomplish this goal.
Your choice for the compound exercise should be a variation of the shoulder press, preferably the dumbbell press or the military press. Dumbbell version is more complete, because it uses more supportive muscles and allows deeper stretching. When doing this exercise, be sure to describe a wide motion (the forearms must be always in a 90 degree angle with the floor). For your compound exercise avoid the behind-the-neck press, since it increases the risk of rotator cuff injuries.
Stimulating the lateral deltoid is crucial for adding width to the shoulder. The best exercise for this is the lateral raise or any variation thereof, including the dumbbell lateral raise, the cable lateral raise, the one-arm lateral raise, the seated lateral raise, the lying lateral raise or the incline and decline one-arm lateral raise that stress the upper or lower portions of the deltoids. When doing this exercise, control the weight during the whole movement and avoid cheating. The lateral deltoid can be worked also using upright rows but, as I commented in the trapezius post, this exercise puts your shoulder joint in a position very prone to injury.
The posterior deltoid uses to be a commonly neglected shoulder part for most people, but it is essential for proper shoulder symmetry. Your options for training it include the rear lateral raise and its variations (e.g. dumbbell, cable, etc.) or a machine that simulates that effect. In addition, you can also perform rowing exercises, but maintaining your elbows up.
The anterior deltoid receives a certain amount of work when you are training your chest (with bench press, and especially with incline bench press), and for this reason, it is uncommon to have development problems with it. If you need to isolate the anterior deltoid, you can choose among barbell front raises, cable front raises and alternate dumbbell front raises.
Finally, it is a good practice adding to your routine some work for the rotator cuff in order to prevent injuries, for instance doing internal and external rotation exercises with cable or dumbbells.
If you need more information for designing your shoulders workout, you can read the article “Boulder Shoulders” by Jon Huston or the article “Training the Shoulders!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.
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